No, we're not talking about her role in Black-ish. Ross is actually a doctor! Well, kind of. In 2015, she received an honorary doctorate degree from her alma mater, Brown University. Describing herself as "honored and thrilled" to be tipped with such an accolade, on her personal blog Ross noted that she was the only woman of color to have been awarded that year.
She was next to three other powerful women, though — Louise Lamphere, a "founding mother" of feminist anthropology, Susan Solomon, one of the first scientists to discover and address the hole in the ozone layer, and Kathryn D. Sullivan, the first American female astronaut to walk in space — so we'd say she was in good company, wouldn't you?
She continued to write:
"In my degree it says I was honored because of my 'grace, talent and strong sense of self....work that combines detailed knowledge of human nature with boldness...a passion for facilitating self-expression and broadening the definition of what is beautiful...dedication to helping others particularly teenage girls, find their inner strength, confidence and pathways to satisfaction...creating common ground with women of all backgrounds... And a continued desire to push the boundaries of imagination.'"
